A Night on Temple Square

On Monday night, Crew and I met Cole downtown for our first annual trip to see the lights. Being that it was the week of Christmas and Family Night, the place was a Zoo. However, we both commented how much friendlier of a Zoo it was in comparison to oh, maybe Fashion Place Mall this time of year. :)

One of my favorite parts was the little system people came up with for finding and securing a parking spot. As we were unloading the baby and all of his gear, we had several cars roll up, lower the window and holler, "Coming or Going?." For some reason I loved the random and yet, very effective nature of the cat call.



As you can see, the lil man wasn't overly thrilled to be out in the cold past his bed time. Lucky for us he was still a good sport though.

Hey Good Lookin'

Have I mentioned how much I love the men in my life? Between a week-long business trip to New Jersey and two weeks of prepping end-of-quarter roll overs, I am looking forward to every second I can squeeze in with my two best guys.

(Shameless pic of my handsome pair right before church today!)

The end of the week and my long holiday weekend can't come fast enough! :)

Ring in the Season

The changes in my life and schedule this year sure allowed me to reevaluate the way Cole and I have celebrated Christmas in the past. It may just be the addition of a babe, but boy, am I excited to celebrate Christmas.

We decided to kick off the month by visiting the Festival of Trees. We had never been and it didn't disappoint. We got to see more than 800 different elaborately decorated Christmas trees. Extravagant and amazing don't even begin to cover the caliber of trees and the intricate displays. It was also incredibly humbling to see the pictures and read the stories of loved ones who had been treated at Primary Children's Hospital.


I should have taken more pictures but each aisle seemed more impressive (and crowded) than the last. Crew did enjoy a new point of view, though!

We could have spent hours there but it was off to set up for the ward Christmas party that night. We were given the awesome task of creating centerpieces that cost a total of zero dollars. Luckily, I had some very classy stuffing left over from Cole's Halloween costume. Add that to a few of our favorite Christmas decorations, and you have a totally free centerpiece. Everyone raved about Crew's new Lil People Nativity. Call me crazy, but I kept my eye on that one. I didn't want some cute kid going home with our Baby Jesus!


The evening's special guest had a fellow imposer. What? Not the real deal? Could have fooled me!

Although I have to say, Crew was less than impressed with the Jolly ol' Elf.

We are a little bit sad that the Activities Committee is being disbanded but secretly excited that we will enjoy next year's ham and funeral potatoes from the comfort of a metal chair. :)

Yeah for the start of Christmas fun!

My Simple Pleasures

As cliche as it sounds, I swear that I will never judge other mothers again. (Glancing upward watching for lightning to strike) But seriously, I really wish that I never will again.

Everyday I am proved wrong about my former perceptions of the life of a stay-at-home, work-from-home, insert-your-situation-here mom. Gone are my assumptions of "all the time in the world" to craft, read, cook, clean, budget, serve, etc. I feel accomplished to just shower, work a few hours, have the bed made and grilled cheese 'n ham sandwiches on the table by 7 when Cole comes home. :0

With that in mind, I decided to celebrate a few projects that I am especially excited to have done. Because in my world, they are my recent, simple pleasures.

Finishing the quilt for Stratton James Depew.


My sister welcomed her first baby to the world two weeks ago, and this quilt was finished and in mail just after his arrival. I average about one quilt project a year (usually prompted by a birth) and this was my second of the year. I love putting my heart and a few pricked fingers into a gift that will be used by the person I love. Since Stratton is so far away, I like thinking that he will wrapped up in my love before he even meets me. Cheesy, yes. True, double yes.

Filling the blank void above Crew's changing table.

I have pined for this wall hanging since three weeks before Crew was born.


Since they never went on sale, I finally had to face the fact that I needed to fill the void with something else.


My favorite photo from Crew's newborn session was a no brainer but big, inexpensive art can be hard to come by. I snatch up the rainbow/family print while at a baby blessing in Utah county. I went out in the hall and found a table of art work the church library was giving away. Cole was mortified that I took it, but why not, right?

The ABC's were actually a puzzle we found on sale while at the Pottery Barn outlet last month. I love the colors and there is no way I could have found a 24x36 piece of art for that price!

The Patio is Finally Poured.
Yes, we prepped the ground for the patio back in September. Yes, my husband was pouring concrete while snowing was swirling around him. Yes, I will be enjoying a mug of hot chocolate on this concrete slab in exactly one week (once it is cured). (Squeal!)



Hurray for the little things!

Home from the Springs.

We were able to sneak away for a long weekend to visit our favorite people in Colorado Springs--Jarad and Ashley!

It had been a few months since we saw them last so when a cheap flight deal landed on the weekend of a Utah vs. Air Force game, there was no turning back.

After flying into Denver and driving down to the Springs, we decided to check out the Western Omelette. A local burrito joint, made famous by it incredibly hot green chili sauce. The restaurant's motto is "Can you take the heat?," and boy, did we try. Cole was brave and tried the hot sauce. The rest of us agreed the mild had more than enough zing and flavor for our taste buds.


That night Ashley's brother and sister-in-law were gracious enough to watch the bambino for us while we rooted on the Utes to a close victory over Air Force. Our camera was left in the car so maybe a few of Ashley's photos will make their way on here later?

Sunday afternoon we made our way over to the Garden of the Gods. Wow, what a cool place to walk, jog, climb and bike.


Cole loves to perch our son in random places that look dangerous and then send pics to Grandma Lansford to make her freak out. We were also able to snag a few fun family pics.



A too-chilly-for-Crew Monday morning canceled a short hike that we had planned but all was made right when Jarad's boss surprised us and sent him home with the day off. With an entire day to play, we headed to Denver.

I had never been to the Denver Temple so we took a few minutes to stroll around the grounds and snap pics.


Although none of us are overly fish-loving people, we decided to check out the Denver Aquarium for the lil man. Two and a half hours later, we left still talking about the many cool, disgusting and amazing creatures inside.


As you can see, the visit to see the fish was a big hit with both my guys.



On our way out we ate an early dinner at Beau Joes. Winner, Winner, Pizza dinner! This place had the freshest toppings and to-die-for whole wheat crust. The crust is so yummy and thick, in fact, that they bring out honey for you eat with the crust separately. At this point in the day, I was lazy and didn't take any pics, but another great place to eat if you are ever in Colorado.

With full bellies and a tired lil boy it was time to head back to the airport. Thanks for such a fun weekend guys!

Ghoulishy Good Times

This week our ward hosted a Fall Party/Costume Parade at the ward house (don't you love how PC we are?). We started out with an easy dinner of sloppy joes and salads while everyone arrived and got settled.

Being on the committee, Cole and I got to plan and MC the entertainment aka "Minute to Win it" games. We had a couple games for the adults including Junk in the Truck and Dizzy Mummy. So glad we have good sports in our ward!



I had no idea how excited the kids would be by the games. We did Hanky Panky, Dizzy Mummy and the Paper Dragon. Even after the party, the kids were asking if they could take turn trying out the games.


Right after the games, the kids got to parade around the gym in their costumes while collecting candy from the adults. I was able to catch a few favorites for a pic. While I don't have pictures to support it, it is worth noting that the world is indeed safe...I counted no fewer than nine Buzz Lightyears ready to fly off and save the day.



At first I was bummed we didn't get to decorate cars in true Tunk or Treat fashion, boy, did I change my mind when we looked outside. Over the course of the party, it snowed an inch!

And of course, our favorite lil monkey!

He likes it! Hey Crew!

Now that Crew is creeping up on 7.5 months old, I decided that we really needed to take the plunge and try some rice cereal. I have avoided it for a few months now because nursing is so easy and honestly, this cloth diapering mama is not looking forward to the changes it will bring to our diaper changes. :)

That being said, we surged ahead.

Crew was already familiar with his baby spoons and bright orange bowl, as we had been letting him play with those when he started showing interest in our food at meals. He loves to suck on them and more recently is throwing them on the floor and then looking up at me expectantly to pick them up.

I mixed his cereal with a little bit of milk so it would be a recognizable flavor. As I inched in for the first bite, I decided to follow the wise advise from Hitch: I would go 90% and let him come the remaining 10%.


At first he didn't seem sure how to best work the spoon. However, after a few awkward licks, sucks and a little spill, we started to get the hang of things. Worked like a charm. He ate almost the entire serving.




Since the initial introduction, we have limited cereal feedings to about once a day. But looking at this face makes me think I should be doing them more often. This little guy really likes his eats!